Dough compositions that are suitable for use in dough or bakery products such as biscuits, pie doughs, pizza crusts, and sweet rolls, etc., commonly contain fat, water, flour, leavening agent (e.g., yeast), and salt as a flavorant.
These days, consumers, regulators, and food companies desire to lower total sodium content in food products. A common way to reduce total sodium used is to replace sodium salt that is used in dough product as a flavorant, with a potassium or calcium salt “salt substitute.” This substitution usually leads to a significant ingredient cost increase. Also, due to bitterness and metallic taste, potassium salt can only be used up to certain levels. Novel cost effective low sodium solutions are still needed.
Another health-sensitive ingredient is the fat. Fats typically used in these types of dough products are triglyceride-based fats that commonly contain a fairly high level of saturated fats and trans fatty acids. Due to a present trend toward healthier dough and bakery products, there is demand for products that contain healthier fats (i.e., having a reduced amount of saturated fats and trans fatty acids) without sacrificing taste and baking performance of the dough. In view of the foregoing, alternative fat compositions that are low in saturated and trans fatty acids are very desirable, especially if they can also be used in low sodium products.
In preparing dough products, especially on a commercial scale, companies look for ingredients that can be conveniently handled and processed. Shortening chips (particles, flakes, etc., also referred to herein as “fat particles”) fit this bill nicely because they take the form of solid particles that can be conveniently handled, stored, and processed. Shortening chips that are even more convenient, and that can result in more healthful dough products, such as products having reduced sodium, healthful fat types, or both, are always desirable.